Plating mechanism for full fashioned knitting machines



Jan. 12, 1932. w. D. RICHTER PLATING MECHANISM FOR FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 16, 1930 In uez'zi'or:

Mljgan 4D. Richter,

Atlfys;

Jan. 12, 1932. w. D. RICHTER 1,840,821

PLATING MECHANISM FOR FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES I: Q In uen'l'or:

my ,an gfilzlichi'ery MM w g/3 v Filed Jan. 16, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 hand heel tab.

Patented Jan. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WOLFGANG D. RICHTER, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO WILDMAN MFG. COMPANY, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA PLATING MECHANISM FOR FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES' Application filed January 16, 1930. Serial No. 421,173.

One object of the invention is to establish a definite lead of the plating yarn finger in respect to the advancing sinkers so as to feed the plating yarn thereto in a definite relation for plating whether the stroke of the machine be rightward or leftward. l

Other objects of the invention will be clear from the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view embodying the invention and illustrating also the relation of the heel tabs to the plating yarn fingers, the view point being at the front of. the machine.

1a is a diagrammatic plan view of a stocking leg with heel tabs indicating the plated area of said tabs.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of a friction block, detent and controlling mechanism and stop pin drums on a larger scale, this view point being at the rear of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the friction block and associated parts.

Fig. 4: is a transverse section of the parts shown in Fig. 3. v I

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of detents.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the'cam blocks.

Fig. 8 is a view of a detail.

, Fig. 9 is a perspective view ofthe cams which control the operation of the friction lock for the right hand heel tab.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view trolling cam forthe formation of the of the conleft , 12 are rear perspective views \of the ratchet tooth holding bars, which are associated respectively with the friction blocks belonging to the yarn guides of the right and left hand heel tabs.

In Figure 1a 1 show at w the fabric produced on the machine in which a is the right hand heel tab and b the left hand heel tab. 0 indicates the inclined line defining the taper of the plater area.

The two plating yarn carriers are designated in Fig. 1 as R for the right hand heel tab and L for the left hand heel tab. The needles are indicated at n,there being as usual Figs. 11 and two needle bars for each section of the machine.

The dotted lines 8 indicate the line of separation between the sections of the machine .where the cross frames are located.

The slur cocks are indicated at so. The yarn carrier rod for the right hand plating yarn guides is indicated at C7- and the carrier rod for the left hand yarn guides L is indicated at L1. The operation or traversing movement of the main yarn carrier is the same as in ordinary practice, and need not be explained herein.

The reciprocating rod for driving the friction blocks is shown at Fr. The friction block for the right hand plating carrier is shown at Rb, and the friction block for the gift hand plating yarn carriers L is shown at The connecting arms between the friction blocks and their respective yarn carrier rods are indicated at 1.

The friction blocks are respectively controlled by detents 2, 3, pivotally mounted on the block Rb and detents 4, 5, pivoted to the block Lb. These detents are adapted to engage ratchet or toothed bars 2a, 3a, 5a respectively, which ratchet bars are mounted infixed position on the machine frame.

The detents are shown detached in Figs. 5 and 6. Each is in the form of a bell crank having horizontal arms 12 carrying the toothed blocks 13 and having also depending arms 14 with spring arms to and having enlarged lower ends adapted to engage cam inclines hereinafter described for rocking the detents or lifting them from the ratchet bars 2a, 3a, and 4a, 5a.

The pivotal points of the detents on their respective friction blocks are at 16.

One detent pin 17 extending across the depending arm 18 of its companion detent so that when the latter detent is rocked on its pivot to lift it, its arm 18 will contact the pin 17 of the other detent and lift it also.

The detent 3 or 5 is lifted when its friction block is disconnected from its carrier rod. This disconnecting is done by sliding the arm 1 out of connection with its carrier rod. The 100 attached thereand 4a,

of each pair 2, 3, or 4, 5 has a arm 1 slides through a box or housing 19 on the friction block. The end of this arm is bevelled at 20 and when the arm is moved to disconnect the friction block from the carrier rod said bevelled end 20 will lift a roller 21 on an arm or rod 22 attached to the detent and thus said detent will be lifted and it in turn will lift its companion detent through contact of the depending arm 18 with the pin 17 on said other detent.

In the diagrammatic view Fig. 1 the machine has just completed its rightward stroke and is about to begin its leftward stroke. The

slur cocks are lying to the right of the plating yarn guides R and L to which they respectively belong. All the detents 2, 3 and 4, 5 are down in engagement with the stationary ratchet bars, and the friction blocks are held stationary while the slur cock carrier and the friction rod moves leftward.

On the leftward stroke of the slur cocks and the friction rod F1 the plating yarn carrier will remain in the position, indicated until the slur cock has arrived in a position slightly in rear (to the right) of the yarn carrier R, say until said slur cock approaches to within of an inch of said carrier. During this leftward movement of the slur cock the sinkers will be advanced as in usual practice and when the sinkers have been advanced so that-the foremost one is about of an inch from the right hand yarn carrier i. e. B, so as to establish the proper lead of the yarn carrier ahead of the advancing sinkers, it is then is released from the stop ratchet bar at by the lifting ofthe detent 8 as presently described, and the friction block is then carried along with the friction drive rod Fr to cause the carrier rod C7- to move leftward and the yarn carrier R will therefore be made to traverse the desired width of fabric which is to be plated. The leftward stroke of the carrier rod will be arrested by a suitable stop R3 on the carrier rod Cr when the yarn carrier R on its leftward stroke has arrived at the inner edge of the area to be plated. The stop R3 is in line with the appropriate pin on the pattern drum A, the pins of which are of varying length to form the pointex or tapered plated area.

The lifting of the detent 3 to release the friction block R6 for its leftward movement is performed by an incline 6 on a cam piece 7 on a bracket 10, fixed to the'same bar 9 which carries fixed thereto all of the slur cocks. It will then be seen that there is a definite relation between the location of the slur cock so and the cam incline 6 carried by the slur cock bar 9 so that the moment that the slur cock approaches to within the prescribed distance say of an inch of the right hand yarn carrier R, the friction block Rb, which up to now has been held by the detent 3against moving with the friction drive that the friction block Rb is lifted.

rod Fr will be released by the lifting of said detent by the cam incline 6 and then the friction block, together with carrier rod C1- and the plating yarn carriers R will move leftward until the carrier bar is arrested by its stop R3 coming against the appropriate one of the stops R2, which of course will cause the arrest of the yarn finger R and friction block, the friction drive rod F1 then simply passing on through the arrested friction block to complete its stroke.

1 have indicated in the diagram Figure l at Z the direction in which the teeth of the rack 3a point, and at 3 T have indicated the direction in which the teeth of rack 2a point from which it will be noticed that the teeth of one of these racks-point in the o posite direction from those of the other rac and that the teeth Z of rack 3a are so disposed that their vertical shoulders hold the detent 3 against moving leftward so long as said detent engages said teeth.

The teeth of the rack 2a are so disposed that they would allow the detent 2 to slip along the rack on this leftward movement, but I prefer to lift this detent for the leftward movement of the friction block Rb and this is done by a cam incline 8, on the cam block. This action is an idle one and simply prevents the detent from snapping from tooth to tooth as the leftward movement takes place.

Reverting to the succession of steps that take place on this leftward movement of the friction drive shaft or rod Fr, we have seen that the action thus far described has moved the carrier R leftward from the selvage edge to the inner edge of the plated area at the right hand heel tab, atvwhich point the stop B3 on the carrier bar C? has come against the stop R2 and the friction block R5 has been arrested, but the friction drive rod continues its leftward travel.

When on this continued leftward stroke the slur cock gets within about of an inch of the left hand plating yarn finger L (it having advanced the sinkers one by one so that the last sinker advanced is on the trailing side and spaced about of an inch from the plating yarn finger L) then the friction block Lb belonging to all of the left hand'yarn fingers L is released from its detaining rack 4a so that it may travel leftward with the friction drive bar F1- for causing the left hand plating yarn finger L to move leftward from the inner (right) side of the left hand heel tab, where it was left on the previous action, to or towards the selvage edge. This release of the friction block Lb for the left hand plating yarn fingers is effected by lifting the detent 4 from the fixed rack 4a, the teeth of which as indicated at 1 1 are cut so as to hold the detent with its blo ck against leftward movement until said detent 1 is so located relative to This lifting action is performed by a cam incline 6a on a cam block 10a fixed to the 5411 cock bar 9, Fig. 10. This cam incline the slur cock that when the slur cock gets within the prescribed of an inch of the left hand plating yarn finger the friction block will be released by lifting the detent land hence the friction block L'b will now be free to move leftward with the friction rod F1. It will be noticed therefore that in both cases, i. e., whether we are dealing with the yarn finger R for the right hand tab at or the hand tab b they will begin to move only when the slur cock hasarrived atJ the prescribed point say within 71; of an inch of them so as to establish the prescribed degree or length of lead in respect tothe point where +11n dnkm-q initiate the feeding of the yarn finger L for the left ward stroke but this is because the cam 6a has'to pass it. This lifting of the detent 4 will be an idle action. The rightward movei ment continuing brings the slur cock to within say inch of the right hand yarn finger R, which on the previous leftward stroke had been left at the inner edge of the spliced area of the right hand tab as distinguish'ed from the selvage edge. Having reached this position which is an example ,of a prescribed lead that the yarn finger is to have in respect to the point where the successive advancement of the sinkers takes place, it is then desired that the yarn finger 'move rightward and maintain this lead throughout the extent of the course which is to be plated. At the moment that the slur cock reaches the prescribed position to establish the desired lead of the yarn finger R,

- ratchet Wheels 25.

rection and the extent of said movements, and furthenthat the time at which said yarn fingers begin to move is in a prescribed relation to the approach of the slur cocks and the yarn feeding action of the sinkers in respect to the needles.

Therefore on either stroke the friction blocks are released from the ratchet bars at a prescribed time in said stroke and having performed their prescribed strokes the friction blocks by the passing on of the cams 10, 10a are again connected up to and held by their detents engaging the fixed ratchet bars.

In Figure 2 the pin drum arrangement for providing the means for stopping the plating yarn carrier variably to accord withthe inclined edge of the plated area is shown in plan. It consists of the discs or drums A, A having laterally extending pins indicated generally at La; and R00, and of progressively different length. These drums are operated in unison by oscillating pawls 24, engaging The parade are operated by anv suitable mechanism from the main cam shaft of the machine, said connections involving for instance a carrier 26 for the pawls pivotally mounted on a bracket 27 and operated by a link 28 pivoted to a lever 29 at 30. said lever being operated by a connection leading back to a cam on the main cam shaft. I

I claim:

1'. In combination in a full fashioned knitting machine, a slur cock, a plating yarn guide, a friction block connected therewith, means for reciprocating the friction block, detent means in part supported on the friction block for holding the said block against movement by said reciprocating means, and releasing means for the detent means operating thereupon when the slur cock arrives in a prescribed relation to the plating yarn guide, substantially as described.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the detent means comprises a toothed bar, and a member to engage said bar and retain the friction block in position. one of said parts being movable, and one being fixed on the machine frame and the other mounted on the friction block.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the detent means comprises a toothed bar fixed on the machine frame and a member pivotally mounted on the friction block, substantially as described.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the detent means comprises a pair of toothed bars with the teeth of one pointing in the opposite direction from the teeth'of the other, and a pair of detaining members. one for each bar, said detaining members and bars having relative movement to engage and disengage, and having relative movement lengthwise of the machine, a part of said detent means heing-mounted on the frame and a part on the hea set friction block, substantially as described.

5. In combination in a full fashioned knitting machine a plating yarn carrier, a friction block for operating said carrier, a pair of parallel toothed bars extending lengthwise of the machine and mounted on the machine frame, a pair of detents mounted on the friction block and adapted to engage the toothed bars severally, one of said' detents holding the block against the action of its friction 'drive in one direction and the other holding the block against the action of said friction drive in the opposite direction, a slur cock, a reciprocating bar on which the slur cock is mounted and means on the said bar for controlling the engagement and disengagement of the detents and their respective toothed bars, substantially as described.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 in which the detents are of different lengths for engaging their respective toothed bars.

7. In combination in a fullfashione l knitting machine, a yarn guide, a friction block for operating said guide, a drive rod for the friction block, detent means for holding the friction block against the action of said rod, a detachable connection between the friction block and the yarn guide, the said detent means being released as a consequence of detaching the friction. block from the guide.

8. In combination in a full fashioned knitting machine, a yarn guide, a friction block for operating the yarn guide, means for operating the friction block, detent means for holding the friction block against the action of said operating means, comprising a pair of detents mounted on the friction block, and a pair of toothed racks mounted on the machine frame, and having their teeth facing in opposite directions so that one detent by engaging one set of teeth will hold the friction block against movement in one direction and the other detent by engaging the other set of teeth will hold the friction block against movement in the opposite direction, and means for releasing both detents automatically and substantially simultaneously,.

'so that both the effective detent and the ineffective detent will be freed from the toothed bars, substantially as described.

9. In combination in a full fashioned knitting machine, a slur cock, a plating yarn guide, a friction block conveyingsaid plating yarn guide, a rod for reciprocating the friction block and having friction driving engagement therewith, means for arresting the friction block at different points in its stroke to vary the length of said stroke in at least one direction while the said rod continues its movement, detent means for holding the fIlCtiOIT'blOCk in position at the ends of its different length strokes, while the said rod continues its movement and releasing means for the detent means mounted on the slur cock carrymg bar and operating upon the detent when the slur cock arrives in a prescribed relation to the plating yarn guide in all the varied positions of the latter due to the various lengths of strokes of the friction block.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 in which the means for arresting the friction block comprises a cam, a rod to which the friction block is connected, said rod having a. stop member thereon to engage said 'cam, and

means for rotating the cam step by step to bring different portions thereof to act as a stop for the said stop member of the rod, substantially as described.

11. In combination in a full fashioned knitting machine a plating yarn guide, a friction block carrying the same, a rod for operating the friction block frictionally enaging the same, ciated with the friction block for holding the same against movement, releasing means for the detent means relation to the stro e of the slur cock, a reciprocating carrier for the slur cock and for said releasing means, and pattern stop means for arresting the plating yarn guide and friction block in different position relative to the length of stroke of the machine, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WOLFGANG D. RICHTER.

detent means directly assooperating in a. prescribed 

